Retail Sales Index
Food & Beverage Services Index
MARCH 2016
Retail Sales Index1
Total
Total (excluding motor vehicles)
 1.4%
 5.1%
Month-on-Month2
Year-on-Year
 0.6%
Month-on-Month2
Month-on-Month2
% Change in Retail Sales
Department Stores 3
 2.2%
Year-on-Year
Year-on-Year
0.0

0.5
Supermarkets

0.4

0.5
Mini-marts & Convenience Stores

1.5

1.8
Food & Beverages

13.3

11.2
Motor Vehicles

4.8

41.3
Petrol Service Stations

5.6

8.0
Medical Goods & Toiletries

5.2

5.4
Wearing Apparel & Footwear

2.0

2.0
Furniture & Household Equipment

2.2

3.6
Recreational Goods

3.8

10.2
Watches & Jewellery

6.0

12.2
Telecommunications Apparatus & Computers

1.0

15.1
Optical Goods & Books

8.4

12.7
Food & Beverage Services Index1
 1.2%
 0.7%
Month-on-Month2
Year-on-Year
Month-on-Month2
% Change in Sales of F&B Services
Year-on-Year
Restaurants

1.0

9.2
Fast Food Outlets

3.6

2.7
Food Caterers

1.6

1.6
Other Eating Places (e.g. Cafes)

1.4

7.8
1
At current prices
2
Seasonally adjusted
3
Include department stores cum supermarkets (e.g. hypermarkets)
1
Retail Sales Index and Food & Beverage Services Index, March 2016
RETAIL SALES
AND
SALES OF FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICES
Retail Sales

Retail sales (seasonally adjusted) decreased 1.4% in March 2016 over the previous
month. Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales declined 0.6%.

Compared to March 2015, retail sales increased 5.1% in March 2016. Excluding
motor vehicles, retail sales decreased 2.2%.

The total retail sales value in March 2016 was estimated at $3.7 billion, higher than
the $3.5 billion in March 2015.
Sales of Food & Beverage Services

Sales of food & beverage services (seasonally adjusted) increased 1.2% in March
2016 over the previous month.

Compared to the same period last year, sales of food & beverage services declined
0.7% in March 2016.

The total sales value of food & beverage services in March 2016 was estimated at
$676 million, lower than the $681 million in March 2015.
Note: The year-on-year growth rate may differ from that derived using values which are rounded to the nearest
billion dollars.
2
Retail Sales Index and Food & Beverage Services Index, March 2016
RETAIL SALES BY INDUSTRY
Month-on-Month Change
(Seasonally Adjusted)
After seasonal adjustment, retail sales of optical goods & books, watches & jewellery, medical
goods & toiletries, motor vehicles, recreational goods, wearing apparel & footwear,
telecommunications apparatus & computers and supermarkets decreased between 0.4% and
8.4% in March 2016 compared to the previous month (Table 1).
In contrast, retail sales of food & beverages increased 13.3% in March 2016 over February
2016. Retail sales of petrol service stations, furniture & household equipment and mini-marts
& convenience stores also rose between 1.5% and 5.6%. Retail sales of department stores1
remained unchanged during this period.
Chart 1 Month-on-Month Change at
Current Prices (Seasonally Adjusted)
Chart 2 Month-on-Month Change at
Constant Prices (Seasonally Adjusted)
0.0
0.5
-0.4
-0.8
-1.1
1.5
13.3
12.5
-4.8
-2.4
5.6
4.7
-5.2
-4.6
-2.0
-0.1
2.2
2.5
-3.8
-6.0
-3.4
-7.0
-1.0
-0.9
-8.4
-10.4
3.3
% -15
-10
-5
0
5
1.2
10
15
% -15
20
Department Stores1
Supermarkets
Mini-marts & Convenience Stores
Food & Beverages
Motor Vehicles
Petrol Service Stations
Medical Goods & Toiletries
1
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
Wearing Apparel & Footwear
Furniture & Household Equipment
Recreational Goods
Watches & Jewellery
Telecommunications Apparatus & Computers
Optical Goods & Books
Others
Include department stores cum supermarkets (e.g. hypermarkets)
3
Retail Sales Index and Food & Beverage Services Index, March 2016
RETAIL SALES BY INDUSTRY
Year-on-Year Change
Compared to March 2015, retail sales of motor vehicles increased 41.3% in March 2016.
Similarly, retail sales of medical goods & toiletries, furniture & household equipment, minimarts & convenience stores, department stores1 and supermarkets rose between 0.5% and 5.4%
over the same period.
Conversely, retail sales of telecommunications apparatus & computers, optical goods & books,
watches & jewellery, food & beverages and recreational goods decreased between 10.2% and
15.1% in March 2016 over March 2015. Retail sales of petrol service stations and wearing
apparel & footwear also declined 8.0% and 2.0% respectively.
Chart 3 Year-on-Year Change at
Current Prices
Chart 4 Year-on-Ye ar Change at
Constant Prices
0.5
0.5
1.8
-1.0
-1.5
0.4
-11.2
-12.8
41.3
40.8
-8.0
-1.4
5.4
5.3
-2.0
-3.5
3.6
4.0
-10.2
-12.2
-15.1
-12.7
-9.3
-15.2
-16.1
-14.6
10.8
% -40
-20
0
20
10.5
40
% -40
60
Department Stores1
Supermarkets
Mini-marts & Convenience Stores
Food & Beverages
Motor Vehicles
Petrol Service Stations
Medical Goods & Toiletries
1
-20
0
20
40
60
Wearing Apparel & Footwear
Furniture & Household Equipment
Recreational Goods
Watches & Jewellery
Telecommunications Apparatus & Computers
Optical Goods & Books
Others
Include department stores cum supermarkets (e.g. hypermarkets)
4
Retail Sales Index and Food & Beverage Services Index, March 2016
SALES OF FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICES BY INDUSTRY
Month-on-Month Change
(Seasonally Adjusted)
After seasonal adjustment, fast food outlets, other eating places (such as cafes) and restaurants
registered increases in receipts of between 1.0% and 3.6% in March 2016 over February 2016
(Table 2).
On the other hand, sales of food caterers decreased 1.6% over the same period.
Chart 5 Month-on-Month Change at
Current Prices (Seasonally Adjusted)
Chart 6 Month-on-Month Change at
Constant Prices (Seasonally Adjusted)
1.0
0.8
3.6
3.2
-1.6
-2.1
1.4
% -4
-2
0
2
1.2
4
% -4
6
-2
0
Restaurants
Food Caterers
Fast Food Outlets
Other Eating Places
5
2
4
6
Retail Sales Index and Food & Beverage Services Index, March 2016
SALES OF FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICES BY INDUSTRY
Year-on-Year Change
Compared to March 2015, turnover of restaurants and food caterers declined 9.2% and 1.6%
respectively in March 2016.
On the other hand, sales of other eating places and fast food outlets increased 7.8% and 2.7%
respectively during this period.
Chart 7 Year-on-Year Change at
Current Prices
Chart 8 Year-on-Year Change at
Constant Prices
-9.2
-12.1
2.7
1.2
-1.6
-1.7
7.8
% -16
-12
-8
-4
0
4
8
5.3
12
% -16
-12
-8
-4
Restaurants
Food Caterers
Fast Food Outlets
Other Eating Places
6
0
4
8
12
Retail Sales Index and Food & Beverage Services Index, March 2016
Table 1 Percentage Change of Retail Sales Index (2014=100)
Industry
Month-on-Month Change
(Seasonally Adjusted)
Year-on-Year Change
at Current Prices at Constant Prices
at Current Prices at Constant Prices
Feb 16/ Mar 16/
Jan 16 Feb 16
Feb 16/ Mar 16/
Feb 15 Mar 15
Feb 16/ Mar 16/
Jan 16 Feb 16
Feb 16/ Mar 16/
Feb 15 Mar 15
Total
1.8
-1.4
1.4
-1.1
-3.1
5.1
-4.1
4.4
Total (excl Motor Vehicles)
-1.0
-0.6
-1.2
-0.8
-9.5
-2.2
-10.4
-3.0
Department Stores1
-1.8
0.0
-2.6
0.5
-10.5
0.5
-11.7
-1.0
2.9
-0.4
2.2
-0.8
-6.9
0.5
-8.1
-1.5
-2.4
1.5
-1.2
-1.1
1.0
1.8
-0.3
0.4
0.2
13.3
0.1
12.5
-35.1
-11.2
-35.7
-12.8
Motor Vehicles
15.0
-4.8
13.5
-2.4
51.3
41.3
47.9
40.8
Petrol Service Stations
-7.4
5.6
-3.0
4.7
-7.6
-8.0
-9.0
-1.4
Medical Goods & Toiletries
1.9
-5.2
0.5
-4.6
3.3
5.4
3.4
5.3
Wearing Apparel & Footwear
5.2
-2.0
4.4
-0.1
-12.5
-2.0
-14.6
-3.5
Furniture & Household
Equipment
-5.4
2.2
-6.4
2.5
-13.1
3.6
-12.5
4.0
Recreational Goods
-5.0
-3.8
-4.2
-3.4
-6.7
-10.2
-6.6
-9.3
Watches & Jewellery
-0.3
-6.0
-2.1
-7.0
-11.5
-12.2
-12.1
-15.2
4.6
-1.0
4.5
-0.9
-16.4
-15.1
-17.0
-16.1
Optical Goods & Books
-9.5
-8.4
-9.3
-10.4
-6.2
-12.7
-6.4
-14.6
Others
-1.2
3.3
0.9
1.2
-0.7
10.8
-1.8
10.5
Supermarkets
Mini-marts & Convenience Stores
Food & Beverages
Telecommunications Apparatus
& Computers
1
Include department stores cum supermark ets (e.g. hypermark ets)
Table 2 Percentage Change of Food & Beverage Services Index (2014=100)
Industry
Month-on-Month Change
(Seasonally Adjusted)
Year-on-Year Change
at Current Prices at Constant Prices
at Current Prices at Constant Prices
Feb 16/ Mar 16/
Jan 16 Feb 16
Feb 16/ Mar 16/
Feb 15 Mar 15
Feb 16/ Mar 16/
Jan 16 Feb 16
Feb 16/ Mar 16/
Feb 15 Mar 15
Total
0.7
1.2
0.2
0.9
-1.4
-0.7
-3.7
-2.9
Restaurants
0.2
1.0
-0.7
0.8
-6.8
-9.2
-9.9
-12.1
Fast Food Outlets
0.9
3.6
0.2
3.2
2.8
2.7
1.6
1.2
-3.5
-1.6
-3.8
-2.1
-4.7
-1.6
-4.7
-1.7
2.6
1.4
2.2
1.2
5.8
7.8
3.5
5.3
Food Caterers
Other Eating Places
7
Retail Sales Index and Food & Beverage Services Index, March 2016
Explanatory Notes
Introduction
The Retail Sales Index (RSI) and Food & Beverage Services Index (FSI) measure the short-term
performance of retail and food & beverage (F&B) services industries based on the sales records of retail
and F&B services establishments. Sales figure refers to the value of retail goods or food & beverages
sold to consumers during the month, excluding taxes on products such as Goods and Services Tax
(GST), Additional Registration Fee (ARF) and Certificates of Entitlement (COE).
The RSI and FSI are presented at both current prices and constant prices. The indices at current prices
measure the changes of sales values which can result from changes in both price and quantity. By
removing the price effect, the indices at constant prices measure the changes in the volume of economic
activity.
To reflect changes in the structure of retail trade and F&B services industries, the coverage and
weighting patterns of the RSI and FSI series are revised at regular intervals. These two indices have
been re-based from reference year 2010 to 2014, the sixth re-basing exercise of the series. The new RSI
and FSI series (2014=100) have been released with effect from Jan 2015 report.
Data Collection
Data for the compilation of the indices are primarily obtained from the results of the monthly surveys of
retail and F&B services establishments respectively. Retail establishments refer to those selling
merchandise directly to the consumers. F&B services establishments are those selling prepared food
and drinks for in-premises consumption or on a take-away basis.
Index Compilation
To derive the RSI/FSI at detailed industry level, the monthly sales for that industry is divided by the
average monthly sales for the same industry in the base year. The overall RSI/FSI is then computed by
combining the sales indices of the detailed industries, using the weights to measure each industry’s
relative importance in the overall retail/F&B services industry.
To derive the indices at constant prices, the sales indices at current prices at detailed industry level are
first deflated by appropriate price indices. These component indices at constant prices are then weighted
and aggregated to derive the overall indices at constant prices.
Seasonal Adjustment
Seasonal effects are observed in both the RSI and FSI as there are usually intra-year periodic variations
that repeat during the fixed period of time every year. To better reflect the underlying trend of the
monthly sales, both indices are seasonally adjusted to remove the seasonal effects.
Singapore Department of Statistics
13 May 2016
More data are available at SingStat website at http://www.singstat.gov.sg/publications/publications-andpapers/services/monthly-retail-sales-and-food-beverage-service-indices
For enquiries, please contact:
Ms Adeline Chia T (+65) 6835 8912 E Adeline_Chia@singstat.gov.sg
Mr Kevin Qua T (+65) 6835 8905 E Kevin_Qua@singstat.gov.sg
8